How apple has intergrated CSR in its business

Apple is one of the companies that has made a lot of news in the media on its business and that of its supplies and this has forced apple to take some decissions and act on some of the claims as a way of improving and addressing the issues. Apple is doing well on some issue but still some issues are still questionable, for example, on its website it is very difficult to find their code of conduct ( both the code of good governace as well as the suppliers code f conduct). Apple has a these two codes which are not easy to find and they do not appear on their website however both are well explained. For its Supplier code of condauct, Apple stipulates the minimum standards to be followed by its suppliers on issues of labour and human rights, Environment, Health and Safety, Ehtics and management systems to ensure compliance of the code. Apple also takes initiative to audit some of its suppliers to ensure that its suppliers are always compling to thier conde of conduct, however the challenge is to what extent does apple ensure that the recommendations from these audits are implemented.

From the media Apple has recieved a lot of critisms about its suppliers on issues to do with working conditions, i feel this is linked to the way Apple conducts its business, i.e cheaper prices. This forces the suppliers to try to reduce the cost of production as much as possible hence the poor working conditions, and to solve this Apple should give its suppliers good prices for the products. This will enable them to offer good working conditions to their staff who are the main drive of the business. As we have heard about the Foxcom scandal, it is very difficult to hold Apple accountable but as its supplier, Apple can help in improving the working condition at Foxcon through better prices, audits and also capacity building of its suppliers to help the comply to the minimum standards.

In addition, the governments in the suppliers company also need to have policies in place which will ensure that the workers are protected, there is need for multi sectroral approach if we are to achieve improvements on issues to do with supply chain management.

Secondly, Apple seems to be also to be be doing well on issues to do with the environment and they are being transparent on issues like on carbon foot printing, Apples measures its carbon foot print for all its activities and it further takes some initiatives to ensure that their product foot print is further reduced.

Some of the initiatives are energy efficiency, recycling, packaging, removal of toxic substances in their raw materials. This innovative initiatives helps Apple to improve on their products quality but also helps in reducing the green house gas emmissions. Apple also seems to do well on employees’ capacity building through its Supplier Employee Education Development where the employees are allowed to have free classes.

Personally i feel Apple is still doing something even though it might be regarded as a response to the crisis but everything has got its starting point, what matters is the how the issue is handled. On the other note, Apple still needs to do more than what it is doing now as i have elaborated above but also improve on its communications to its different stakeholders in a transparent way but also ensure that they is room for continuous stakeholder engangement. As CSR is a new concept to most of the people, companiies we need time for  continuous improvement within the  companies, otherwise it will be a marketing strategy rather than believing in the need for doing it.

Sources

1. Apple Supplier Code of Conduct; http://images.apple.com/supplierresponsibility/pdf/Supplier_Code_of_Conduct_V3
2. Apple and the environment; http://www.apple.com/environment
3. Apple Supplier Responsibility 2012 Progress Report; http://images.apple.com/supplierresponsibility/pdf/Apple_SR_2012_Progress_Repo

4. Greenfield, Rebecca. There are no Quick Fixes for Apple’s Foxconn Problem.February 14, 2012. More information:http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2012/02/there-are-no-quick-fixes-apples-foxconn-problem/48674/

Comments Off on How apple has intergrated CSR in its business / 07 May 2012 por Tabithah Mkandawire Kaluwa
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